Motor fuel



Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES MOTOR FUEL Ernest F. Pevere, Beacon, N. Y., assignor to The Texas Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application September 29, 1932,

Serial No. 635,346

6 Claims;

This invention relates to motor fuels and pertains particularly to the provision in motor fuels of a substance to improve the anti-knock property thereof. 1

5 It is well known that fuels for internal combustion engines, such as gasolines, naphthas, and kerosenes, especially those containing large percentages of the paraffin hydrocarbons, produce a fuel knock under certain operating conditions.

10 In order to provide a fuel which will not knock, particularly in engines having a high compression pressure, it is customary to introduce a small quantity of an anti-knock reagent, which functions in a manner apparently catalytic and not ject of the present invention is to provide in a motor fuel having a tendency to knock a new and efficient anti-knock reagent.

I have found that the anti-knock property of 20 a motor fuel can be substantially improvedby adding the necessary quantity of a substance containing ethylene diamine. The ethylene diamine may be added directly to the fuel as a liquid consisting essentially of this compound, or as a solution in a suitable solvent. It may be used in conjunction with other anti-knock compounds, or with a dye, an antioxidant, or with any other compounds which may be added to the fuel to improve the general character thereof.

Ethylene diamine readily forms hydrates and it is sometimes advantageous to use the compound in the form of a hydrate, such as the monohydrate. In such a case the beneficial effect of the ethylene diamine is obtained and at the same time a certain amount of water which is often desirable from an anti-knock standpoint is simultaneously introduced into the fuel.

The quantity of anti-knock material required to give a certain anti-knock rating will vary with the fuel ba'se used. While I do not wish to limit myself to any definite quantities, it is contemplated that a practical range may be about 0.5% to 10% by weight, and preferably in the region of about 1-5%.

It has been found that ethylene diamine is readily soluble within certain limits. However, in some cases it may be desirable to use a mutual solvent to facilitate the dissolution of this subfully understood, to suppress the knock. An obstance in the gasoline. Accordingly, such solvents as acetone, alcohol, benzol, etc. and mixtures thereof may be used, preferably by dissolving the reagent in the solvent first and then incorporating the resultant solution into the gaso- 5 line.

By way of example of the operation of the invention, 1% of ethylene diamine monohydrate was added to a gasoline having an original octane value of about 40. The resultant solution showed an octane value of about 55.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims. V

I claim:

1. The method of improving the anti-knock property of liquid hydrocarbon motor fuels which comprises adding to the fuel about 0.5%-5% of ethylene diamine.

2. The method of improving the anti-knoclr property of liquid hydrocarbon motor fuels which comprises adding to the fuel about 0.54% of a hydrate of ethylene diamine.

3. A composition of matter comprising a liquid hydrocarbon motor fuel to which has been added about 0.5-5% of ethylene diamine whereby the anti-knock value of the fuel is substantially increased.

4. A composition of matter comprising a liquid hydrocarbon motor fuel to which has been added about 0.5-1% of a hydrate of ethylene diamine whereby the anti-knock value of the fuel is substantially increased.

5. The method of improving the anti-knock property of gasoline, normally tending to develop 'a knock when used as a fuel in internal combustion engines, which comprises dissolving in the gasoline about 1% of ethylene diamine monohydrate.

6. A gasoline'containing about 1% of ethylene diamine monohydrate, said ethylene diamine monohydrate causing a substantial increase in the anti-knock value of said gasoline.

ERNEST F. PEVERE. 

